Rochester rallies in solidarity with Charlottesville

Hundreds rally at Washington Square Park in Rochester to stand in solidarity with the victims of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia

Rochester was one of the cities rallying for the victims of Charlottesville Sunday.

Deputy Mayor Cedric Alexander spoke and his message resonated with the crowd of hundreds at Washington Square Park.

Alexander was busy the day before, as part of CNN's coverage of the unrest in Virginia as the events unfolded.

Many in the Rochester area are feeling angry and impassioned after the violence and death.

Poets, and other speakers that organized the rally have a message they believe is more timely now than ever.

“At this very moment, much of what we saw in Charlottesville is a surprise to many of us. But in many ways it still is not a surprise,” Alexander said. “It is amazing what we’ve seen in the last seven months, and even just prior to the most recent election.”

Banke Awopetu went to the University of Virginia, and was a speaker for the rally.

“We have to decide for ourselves if we're going to call for arms of the path of non-violence? Same question Martin Luther King, Malcom X had to decide. We like to think we're in a different time than they were but we're really not,” said Awopetu.

Other folks who attended say it’s a turning point in the United States.

“Look into your heart, look into your mind, and reflect on what kind of world you want to live in and then take action to get there,” a rally attendee said.

“Today, it's not about the rally, it's about what we do after we leave the rally.”